Persona 4: The Ultimate in Kombat Arena
by Lord KH
Summary: Months after MKX, Cassie Cage has escaped from the harsh tutelage of Raiden and winds up in Yasoinaba, where she finds herself imprisoned in the TV World. With Special Forces and the Investigation Team both on the case, can they work together to find Earthrealm's Champion and the culprit? Or will their differences only be solved through Kombat? Rated M for Language and Violence.
1. Prologue: Cassie Cage

**Hello and welcome! If you found this, I'm impressed; this has got to be the only fic in this section at all! But, I just couldn't help myself from creating this thing because it has been on my mind for a while. It might seem like a strange think to mix the worlds of Mortal Kombat and Persona, but if you stick with me, I'll do my best to not disappoint you.**

 **If you are reading this first, I recommend that you click on my profile and find my previous story Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall and give that story's epilogue a read, as it deals directly with this story. Other than that, I hope you enjoy as we lay the groundwork for our crossover to begin!**

 ** _Mortal Kombat_** **and all of its associated properties are the full ownership of Warner Bros. and Netherrealm Studios, et. al**

 ** _Shin Megami Tensei_** **and _Persona_ are the full ownership of Atlus et. al**

 **SPOILER NOTE: This story will contain spoilers for _Persona 4_ , _Persona 4: Arena_ , _Mortal Kombat 9_ , and _Mortal Kombat X_**

* * *

 _4/27/12, Southern Japan Countryside_

Cassie Cage sighed dispassionately as yet another scenic view of a rustic Japanese village passed by her window. She had been sitting on this train for almost seven hours, and she was having a hard time keeping her head up looking at such a similar scene for so long. She had left in such a hurry that she had forgotten her headphones, her usual remedy to this particular issue.

At the time, of course, grabbing her headphones seemed so insignificant. She just _had_ to get out of Iga, and packing the bare essentials and hopping the nearest Shinkansen _Kodama_ train was the only way to do that. Frustrated, she thrust a sneaker into the empty seat in front of her and pouted silently, doing her best to focus on everything but the insane act of vanishing that she had just pulled.

Lately, Cassie's life went from what she would describe as "complex" to "in-fucking-sane." At just the ripe old age of 23, Cassie was a sergeant in the in the United States Special Forces, a secret black-ops squad dedicated to rooting out terrorist and crime organizations. Of course, that was the official story: the real intentions of the group were to protect the Earth from otherworldly invaders.

It still sounded like a fairy tale to her: Earth wasn't just a planet in the solar system, but its own realm, one of many formed after faceless deities, known only to her as the Elder Gods, split their world to allocate and balance the power in the universe. Earthrealm was a particularly sought after source of power, and powerful leaders in the other realms were eager to merge their own dominions with that of the Earthrealm.

In older and less turbulent times, Earth was protected by the Mortal Kombat tournament, a fighting event constructed by the Elder Gods to prevent invaders from merging the realms and unbalancing the world as they had constructed it so many years ago. Alongside the tournament, a minor deity named Raiden, God of Thunder, kept a watchful eye as its celestial guardian. For a time these two fail safes had worked, but a series of hostile invasions from the realms of Outworld and the Netherrealm had left Earth fragile and weak; it had only been through direct intervention from the Gods through Raiden that Earth had been spared against the might of Shao Kahn, the former Emperor of Outworld.(*)

From the day her mother explained this to her to now, Cassie still believed it to be absolutely _batshit_ crazy. Elder Gods? Realms? Magic powers? It sounded like something out of a paperback novel, but it was the 100% honest truth. Cassie had seen the evidence of these fantasies for herself many times before, but never participated in an active battle against these forces until just six months earlier.

Cassie's mother, Sonya, and her father, Johnny, were two of Earthrealm's strongest champions, having survived the invasions from both Shao Kahn and, soon after, Shinnok, a fallen Elder God who had assumed direct control of the Netherrealm. While Shao Kahn was ultimately slain, an Elder God like Shinnok was not so easy to destroy; he was sealed into his own amulet and put under Earthrealm's lock and key until he was finally set free.

Cassie, now a member of the Special Forces with her own unit, had done her best to stop his return, but his agents succeeded in releasing him into Earthrealm. Undeterred, she and her team gave chase, confronting Shinnok at Raiden's sanctuary, the Jinsei Chamber. As he began to seize the life force of Earth, Cassie was suddenly overcome with a mystical energy that had been passed down from her father. With this new-found power, she was able to fight off Shinnok and defeat him, saving Earth once again. Like her parents before her, she was now a champion of Earthrealm. (**)

As it turned out, however, being a champion of Earthrealm wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Not a few days after the showdown with Shinnok, Cassie was whisked away by Raiden to southern Japan, to the city of Iga. There, at a secret compound, she was put under the tutelage of Hanzo Hasashi and Kuai Liang, two veteran Earthrealm warriors who were to help her learn to control the power she had unlocked. Hasashi and Liang were the leaders of two different clans, the Shirai-Ryu and The Lin Kuei, respectively, that helped to protect Earthrealm from the shadows. They were harsh teachers, and even Raiden had begun to show a much more stern attitude toward Cassie as he pushed her into training every day, warning her of the consequences for not being prepared.

A lifelong doer, Cassie had tried for a few months, but began to chafe under the three men's constant negative reinforcement. She wondered if there was ever going to be a break, or if there was ever going to be time to see her fellow Special Forces friends again. These questions went unanswered by her teachers, who always told her to stop talking and get back to work. Fed up, Cassie stole away in the dead of night, looking to get back to Tokyo and to an international airport.

And so here she was, many hours into her flight from her training and struggling to stay awake. She was afraid to, really; she felt the minute she let her guard down, Raiden would pop up out of nowhere and take her back to Iga. As a God, Raiden seemed to know all and had the ability to appear and re-appear at will, seemingly anywhere he put his mind to. Cassie knew that "running" from Raiden wasn't really an option, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to try. She had inherited her mother and father's legendary stubbornness.

Still, despite this fear, she couldn't help as her eyelids, feeling like they weighed a hundred pounds each, began to flutter in the orange glow of the late evening. She tried clenching her fist, pounding her thigh, anything to provoke enough force to jolt her awake. These tactics produced no result, and it wasn't too long before she felt herself slowly drift off as she curled into the hard plastic seat of the train. She hoped she wouldn't, but she slowly began to dream as she fell into a deeper sleep.

* * *

For Cassie, every dream for the past six months had been the same, and this one was no differet: her, bleeding out on the harsh cave floor of the Earth's Jinsei Chamber. The blue Jinsei, the blood that flowed through the arteries of the Earth and kept it pure, would slowly begin to turn red and vile, as if a volcanic eruption was just beginning to surface. To her right, her father lay helpless and imprisoned in a cocoon of slimy bugs and tiny monsters that slowly robbed him of his blood and flesh. To her left, her mother lying horribly still, her neck twisted all the way in the opposite direction and, thankfully, away from Cassie. Even her nightmares couldn't conjure up the image of her mother dead.

At the center of the chamber, gloating over the lifeless body of Raiden, was Shinnok, the fallen Elder God and soon to be ruler of the realms. His grey, lithe body had been hideously transformed into a tall, monstrous demon that had long horns and a glowing core powered by the God's amulet, a bronze talisman that hosted untold and terrifying power. She watched idly as Shinnok's corrupt red energy tore through Raiden, obliterating every speck of his body into the swirling and misty air.

With a laugh that sounded like burning coals, Shinnok turned his attention to Cassie. As always, she would try, but could find no energy left in her body to get to her feet. At best she could move her fingertips, which did little to stop the Elder God from lifting her up by her thin neck. Losing air fast, Cassie tried to kick her legs but found that even the will to fight back had been sapped from her. She couldn't tell if the tears stinging her eyes were from the agony of her gaping stomach wound or the awful, sulfer-like smell emanating from her attacker.

Without a word, Shinnok would take his other hand and place it on top of her head, mockingly caressing her blonde bun before gripping her entire cranium and tugging. He seemed to do this for what felt like eternity, pulling until the bones in her neck cracked like twigs and there was a sickening pop as her head became separated from her shoulders, the slivers of her spine dangling from the open hole left by the sudden separation. It was always here where she would wake up, sweating and crying before remembering the truth of what had happened. (***)

This time, however, the nightmare stopped, but instead of collapsing awake, the black curtain over her eyes never rose. Eventually, a foreign but calming sound started to sound out through the darkness; Cassie couldn't be sure, but it sounded like water, crashing and wheezing as it did its best to form waves on its murky surface. The darkness began to slowly take form. Cassie could make out shapes, and under her feet she thought she felt wood, confirming it as she looked down and clearly saw the planks that made up the surface of wherever she was.

A sudden jolt underneath her feet caused her to lose her balance, catching herself on a few barrels that were hanging out near a wooden guard rail. As her eyes continued to adjust she thought she could make out a large sail in the dark sky. Was she on a ship, she wondered? As if the world was waiting for her to catch up, a misty spray of foam and water came over the railing and splashed the ground to the right of her. The water was cold, and she put her arms around her body, feeling the temperature in the air. She was wearing what she had been on the train: a black tanktop over a purple sports bra, a white sweatshirt tied around her waist and some black leggings that went down to her calves, a white stripe on either side. Shivering, she untied the sweatshirt and hastily zipped it on.

Trying to get her head around what was going on, she stepped over the newly formed puddle of water and saw a wooden staircase that lead to the ship's main deck. She jumped down over the three steps and began walking toward what she was sure was the helm of the ship. She stopped a moment as another vibration was sent through the entire deck, then kept pushing forward. Another wooden staircase, this one a bit longer, greeted her on the other side. At the top of the steps there was a cabin, most likely the bridge of the ship. Cassie ran up to the door and felt the knob, finding it surprisingly unlocked. She stepped in, only to be greeted by a bizarre scene.

Unlike the rest of the ship, the bridge had a deeply blue carpet that hid the wooden paneling underneath. Front and center in the room was a long desk, the top covered by the same velvety blue material that was on the carpet. The ship's wheel, clearly being driven by a shadowy figure, stood a little to the left of the door she had entered. The walls were covered in a similarly colored material that looked like the soft covering on the back of a chair.

Another figure, shrouded in darkness, was sitting at the desk, but Cassie couldn't make out what it was without any light. She could see that his arms were propped on the desk, his mouth covered by his tightly clasped hands. More clear was the helmsman of the ship, a stern faced man dressed in a dark suit. His tie and jacket stood out in the darkness, both a stark blue compared to the shirt and pants, as well as the glowing brass on his cuffs. He wore a small pillbox hat; Cassie thought he looked like an old-timey bellhop from some wacky hotel. Taking in the scene, she just uttered the first thing on her mind.

"Uh…th' fuck is _this?_!'

Neither of the two people in the room reacted to her obnoxious expletive. Both stood perfectly rigid, merely meeting her with a seemingly amused stare. The figure at the desk finally looked up, and Cassie almost recoiled when she saw his face. His nose was _extremely_ long, looking almost 5 or 6 inches away from his face. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, a sinister smile stretching his mouth.

"Why, hello there, my dear young lady," the man chuckled, his voice strangely high, "Welcome to the Velvet Room! My name is Igor, and I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Cassie wasn't sure whether to scream or leap over the desk and punch the creep in his face. His smile was making her more and more uncomfortable, as was the thundering silence from the man at the wheel. The creepy guy, Igor, eventually waved a gloved hand over at his helmsman.

"This is Theodore. He is a resident of this room, much like myself."

Theodore suddenly turned around, hands totally off the wheel, and offered a meager bow with his hand on his chest.

"Very pleased to meet you, my lady," he greeted, his deep voice sounding buttery smooth in comparison to Igor.

Cassie was now starting to slowly back away toward the door, not totally sure what was going on or who these people were. "Uh, is this, like, a dream? Tell me this is a dream. This is _wayyyy_ too fuckin' weird…"

Igor laughed, a hoarse giggle that sounded like he was in pain. "Why yes, child! This is a place that exists between dreams and reality, mind and matter. But before we proceed any further, we must discuss your contract…"

As he finished, a red notebook suddenly appeared on the desk, as if from out of nowhere. In truth, because Cassie had seen seemingly everything under the sun in her short life, the idea of a very long nosed man floating along in a ship offering her a contract probably wasn't the _craziest_ thing in the world. All the same, she approached the desk cautiously, keeping one fist cocked and ready should any funny business go down and she needed to wake up quickly.

The notebook was made of red leather and held a single piece of fine parchment paper in the middle of it. There was a fountain pen lying adjacent to the paper, obviously there for Cassie to sign the thing. The contract was barely readable; the print was so fine that it wasn't even legible. She looked up at Igor, confused.

"So, I usually _always_ sign whatever some creepy guy with a big nose gives me, but I literally can't read what this says. What, uh, what am I signing here? To be his slave girl?" she scoffed, pointing at Theodore, who seemed like he was embarrassed by the statement. Igor calmly shook his head, still smiling.

"Ha, such precociousness! We have not seen a guest like you in some time. This contract is bound only to you, and states that you may have access to the Velvet Room. Without this contract being signed, we cannot proceed any further, I'm afraid."

Cassie made a face. A contract to be in _this_ strange place? Fuck that, she thought. "Oh, so I can't be in here if I don't sign this…whatever?" She got a slight nod from the strange man. "Oh, okay. Then I'm good, peace!"

She closed the book and began to walk away when Theodore stepped in front of her, looking a little agitated. "Uh, miss, perhaps you should reconsider…"

She cocked an eye, wondering if he knew who _exactly_ he was messing with. "And if I don't?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Igor stand up from his position. His smile had faded.

"My dear child, you have _limitless_ potential, potential that we here in the Velvet Room can help unlock! Are you very sure you do not want to sign this contract and be our guest?" He asked, opening the notebook again. Cassie turned around, rolling her eyes. What was _up_ with these guys? How could she dream something so bizarre?

"Look, dude, I have enough people sayin' that I got potential comin' outta my ass. Really. I need one more person to do that like I need a drill in my small intestine, m'kay? So whatever weirdo fantasy _Twin Peaks_ room you guys have here, I'm not into it, okay? See ya in another dream some other day," she ranted, going to move past Theodore and out onto the main deck again. Igor spoke up again, his voice sounding very somber.

"I…see. It is a shame you have chosen this path. Before you go, I'd like to give you…a warning. Please, have a seat," he gestured as a chair magically appeared across from his desk. Cassie glared at him, then at Theodore, who flinched visibly, before crossing her arms and going to sit in the seat across from Igor. Hopefully she could get back to regular dreaming if she heard him out.

"I'm listenin'."

Igor waved both of his hands, and from the red book on the table, two cards suddenly appeared out of thin air. They had a blue mask of some sort on the back, so it was hard to make out what they were. Playing cards? Cassie couldn't tell since they landed on the table face down.

"Okay, so what? You gonna pull some Mindfreak shit on me?"

Igor said nothing as he waved his left hand and one of the cards flipped over, revealing that the other side of the card had a small painting on it. The painting was of a tall ivory tower, in flames, with people fleeing off the side of it. Cassie realized that it must have been a tarot card.

"Oh, one of those new age guys, huh? I know my sign, but I'm not sure what this shit means. Looks rough," she commented, squinting to see other parts of the card.

"This is a card of The Tower arcana, placed in the upright position," Igor explained, looking grave, "It means that an unfortunate accident is in your future, perhaps sooner than you might expect! As for the other…"

He gently waved his right hand, flipping over the other. The card was upside down, but if Cassie flipped her head, she could see that it was a lady in very nice clothes petting what looked like a lion.

"The Strength arcana, flipped in the reverse position. This represents self-doubt, and potential weakness…hmm, indeed. So you will encounter a misfortunate situation at your final destination that may revolve around a critical moment of weakness. Very interesting reading!"

Cassie suddenly felt a little nervous. Self-doubt was kind of spot on. But this tarot card thing was bullshit, right? Who was she kidding-she knew _two_ different telepaths. Anything was possible. A little disturbed, she got out of the chair.

"Hey, look, thanks for the…fortune telling, and all, but I gotta run," she said nervously, again heading for the cabin door. She heard Igor click his tongue, the universal sign for disappointment.

"We in the Velvet Room simply do not want your future to be lost. We can help you harness your gifts in order to protect your future, and find the truth amongst the readings. But, should you choose not to accept our help, then so be it. I bid you good tidings on the rest of your journey," he said sadly. His eyes turned down, focusing more on the cards than Cassie.

Sufficiently freaked, Cassie now bolted for the door, where an alarmed Theodore hurriedly got out of the way. As she threw open the door, a bright white light greeted her instead of the ship deck, and she hesitated. In that brief moment, she could hear Igor sadly contemplating her departure.

"A shame…the power of the wild card is not one to be trifled with, my dear child. Not at all."

What the hell did that mean? Cassie turned, venom in her eyes. She didn't know what it was, but this whole thing was starting to not just give her the creeps, but actively _terrify_ her.

"Hey, just shut the fuck up, ya freak! Leave me alone and let me outta here, dammit!"

Igor sighed heavily and pointed toward the open door that was still bursting with blinding light. Cassie looked between the exit and Igor, before gulping and taking a few tentative steps toward what appeared to be a portal to another realm. Throwing caution to the wind, she got a running start and tore through the doorway, a strange feeling erupting all over her body. The light seemed to envelop her, and she felt lightheaded as she closed her eyes to stop the light from damaging her eyes.

* * *

 _4/27/12, Yasoinaba Station_

"Miss? Miss?"

Cassie jumped awake, her fist cocked and ready to strike whatever creep was grabbing her shoulder. The culprit, a shy conductor, closed his eyes and began to beg her not to. Embarrassed, she put her hands down and stared hard at the floor underneath her seat.

"W-whattya want? I was tryin' to catch some shut eye here, dude," she said irritably. She could see the conductor was trying hard to catch his breath.

"Uh, well, yes I see that it's just…w-well, this is the last stop for the night! You can get back on tomorrow, but I'm afraid I must have you leave the train…please don't hit me!

The man put his hands over his face and one leg up in something resembling a standing fetal position. Cassie rolled her eyes, annoyed at the idea of having to leave the safety of public transportation. Out in the real world, she was a sitting duck for Raiden or the two clan leaders to easily find her. She decided to ask the cowering man where she could stay.

"Whatever, fine. Can you at least tell me where I am and where a hotel or fuckin' hostel or whatever is?"

The man gulped, still locked in his defensive stance. "Y-you're at Yasoinaba station, just outside of Inaba. There's an inn, a famous one! It's called the Amagi inn, just upstream from the nearby flood plain. It's pretty hard to miss," he squealed, little beads of sweat starting to form as Cassie's face showed disapproval.

Inaba? She had never heard of it, but she hoped it wasn't too far from Tokyo. She muttered a form of gratitude to the conductor before gathering her sturdy drawstring bag from under the seat and stepping toward the exit.

Outside, she could see from the quarter moon high in the sky that it was probably somewhere around midnight. The station was eerily empty, with no one in sight and barely any lights on aside from the glowing train. She remembered the man in the train saying something about a flood plain, so she squinted at a nearby sign to try and see if it had a hint.

Her Japanese was a little rusty, but she could see that the sign clearly mentioned the plain being due east of the train station. Satisfied, she shouldered her bag and began to walk that direction. As she began slowly traversing the town, she could see that she wasn't exactly in a high class area; the architecture looked several decades old and the road was lousy with cracks and potholes. Clearly it hadn't been touched in a while, but she supposed it had a small-town charm, if you were into that sort of thing.

She felt herself wishing again that she had brought her headphones. The ambient sounds of crickets chirping and the buzz of the cicada made her uneasy; she was a city girl through and through, not really used to the rhythmic symphony of nature in full bloom. She figured it was something that her Special Forces teammate, Kung Jin, could appreciate more; he was a former thief who often had to camp out in the woods to stay away from trouble.

Cassie hadn't thought about them in a while. Whether it was the amusing banter she could have with the easily irritable and cocky Jin, or rolling her eyes at the obvious mushy feelings being shared by Takeda and Jacqui, the other two members of her team, Cassie truly felt as close as blood to all three of them. Being separated for these months had slowly began to bum her out, and it couldn't be any more evident than walking alone down a dark path in some hick town in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles from home.

And why was she gone so far? Because, seemingly by accident of being born, she was chosen to save the Earth from invaders from magical realms. Cassie loved a good fight, but sometimes she wondered if champion of Earth was more of a death sentence than anything; she had heard some bad stories about her father's predecessor, the Shaolin monk Liu Kang. His win in Mortal Kombat over the dreaded sorcerer Shang Tsung, had lead him down an increasingly dark path, until he was accidentally killed in Kombat with Raiden. Cassie now knew him as the Dark Emperor of the Netherrealm, a hellish landscape where dead souls went to suffer.

She also thought of her dad, Johnny Cage. A former actor in blockbuster action films, Johnny was long seen as a joke until he proved himself by surviving the harsh battles against the Outworld. It was he that first used the mystical energy in the Cage bloodline to defeat Shinnok, although he was never again able to conjure it. While he was still relatively healthy and good natured now in his fifties, Cassie could occasionally see the toll that losing so many friends had had on him. Occasionally, her nightmare scenario would show her what would happen to her friends if Shinnok had succeeded, and it was the worst part of all.

Shaking her head, she tried to clear out the negative thoughts and focus on getting to the inn that she had been told about. She had made it to the flood plain, a long road that was adjacent to a flowing river. As she enjoyed the oddly beautiful view of the moon being reflected in the river's surface, she thought she heard a noise behind her. She whipped around to see nothing and no one along the road. Was she really just losing it?

Again, the tiny noise poked her in the ear and ran off again. She heard it _for sure_ this time! Stepping off the paved road, she looked off into the distance past the river, but saw nothing. She turned back away from the riverbank and saw a small park bench, and next to it, a growing junk pile. Was there someone or _something_ trying to scare her in that pile? Cassie's curiosity got the best of her, and she wandered a little closer to the bench, quiet as she could be.

The pile was quite big, easily big enough to hide a punk kid or some other vagrant out to cause a commotion. As she got a little closer, the noise perked itself up again; gotcha, Cassie thought. She triumphantly stood up in front of the pile of garbage, old parts, and clunky electronics, hands on her hips.

"You can come on out now, asshole. Come out now and I may only break half of your face."

No response. Perplexed, Cassie went around to the opposite side and saw there was actually no one there. Just as she went to turn around, the noise came back, and Cassie finally saw what was causing it: it was an old TV. Somehow, the giant clunker was flickering on and off, despite its lack of a power source. It was a plasma TV, something Cassie hadn't seen in years. The bottom part of the screen was cracked, and it had a bunch of missing pixels.

Somewhat mystified, Cassie continued to stare at the strange electronic when suddenly the picture showed up again, this time revealing a hazy yellow screen. She squinted her eyes to fight off the strain of looking so close, and thought she could a see a figure in the mess of yellow. She tried to grip the TV in order to get a closer look and almost screamed when she saw her thumb and two fingers go _inside_ the screen. Right through it!

"Woah…okay, I'm clearly trippin' major here. Was it that fuckin' smoke that Master Hasashi had me inhale? God damn, I _knew_ somethin' was up with that," she rambled to herself, trying to talk her way out of what just happened. That had to be it, right? Psychedelics? Trick of the eyes?

In her frantic pacing, she failed to notice an entire arm was now coming out of the TV. It was a black sleeve that had a pale, glowing hand coming out at the end of it. It only became apparent when the arm lashed out and grabbed at Cassie's wrist and clamped down like the jaws of life.

" _Woah!_ What the fuck!?"

Cassie frantically tried to tear her hand loose, but this thing was holding on like a shark. She placed one foot against the TV and tried to kick it away, but that still did nothing to alleviate the pressure. The arm than began to retreat, pulling Cassie with it closer to the TV. Cassie could feel the slimy embrace of the grass and the cold dew on the blades as she was dragged, literally kicking and screaming, closer to the TV. She cried, she begged, but the hand still would not let go.

Realizing all her attempts were failing, Cassie's experienced mind compelled her to action. She reached into the waistband of her pants and pulled out her cell phone, hurriedly trying to get the camera on it activated. Finally, with her arm almost all the way in the TV, she snapped a photo with her left hand and dropped the phone in the grass. Everything turned into a blur as her head came next, a horrible ringing going into her ears.

Everything started to spin, and she could only see odd black and white spirals going on and on as her body began to meld deeper into the TV. When her last sneaker had come through, her whole body ceased to feel anything solid, and she began to fall. For how long and how far she didn't know, for it only took a few seconds for the overwhelming cacophony of noise and sights to cause her eyelids to droop and her mind to empty into a deep, black abyss.

* * *

 **Oh man, poor Cassie. We'll see if her efforts to leave a trail were enough to help in the next chapter. Please read and review, and if you have friends that may be into both these franchises, please send them my way. Thanks, and until we meet again!**

 **Footnotes:**

 ***- As seen in the ending of _Mortal Kombat 9's_ story**

 ****- These paragraphs are a summation of the events of _Mortal Kombat X's_ story**

 *****- This dream is a twisted remembrance of the climactic final battle in _Mortal Kombat X's_ story**


	2. Chapter 1: Raiden

**Soooo sorry for the delay, people. College graduation and job search have taken up my winter break time, but I wanted to get at least another chapter out before the new year! I don't usually do long battle scenes, so bear with me if it seems clumsy. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a review, it helps!**

 **PS: From now on, I will add (*) symbol next to elements of lore that exist within the stories I have done previously. Make sure to check the notes at the end of the chapter for additional information!**

* * *

 _4/28/12, Raiden's Sky Temple_

As it always seemed to be, an impending sense of dread clouded Raiden's thoughts as he stood in silent prayer at his Sky Temple shrine.

Cassandra Cage, Earthrealm's mightiest warrior, had gone missing. To a God, this seemed an inconsequential fact; finding a lone human was as simple as focusing for mere minutes. And yet, with all his power, Raiden could not find a shred of Cassie's life force anywhere on the planet. Had she just run away it would have been a great inconvenience, but her entire footprint disappearing from Raiden's vision was a cause for grave concern. Somberly, he lit a second stick of incense with a spark of lightning from his fingertip and placed it gently on the shrine in front of him.

Located deep in the Himalayan mountains, Raiden's colossal, thousand feet high Sky Temple served as a beacon of his power. Deep within, in a heavily guarded chamber, was the Earth's Jinsei Chamber, a glowing blue room that housed the life energy for the entire planet. As protector of Earthrealm, Raiden was to guard this room with all the power he could muster, and since time immemorial, he had.

Protecting Earthrealm was no easy task; there were many who craved the immense amount of natural resources it provided. Warlords from other realms, Elder Gods, scheming sorcerers, and arrogant warriors had all sought to conquer the realm, yet Raiden had always been there to defend it. He was not alone: throughout millennia, certain warriors had been entrusted to help protect the Earth with him as chosen warriors. Cassandra Cage was one of those warriors, and Raiden hoped that wherever she was, she had not been yet _another_ casualty in his never-ending war.

Eternal life should have dulled Raiden to the idea of growing close to these mortals; indeed, his fellow Gods would have scoffed at the idea that one should befriend those born to be slaves of time. Despite this fact, Raiden had indeed become close those he had chosen to aid his battle, closer than he even thought possible. But with mortality comes death, and Raiden had seen many of his allies fall to the brutal onslaughts that had been brought against Earthrealm. The modest room he currently stood in had but one long table with burners and two paintings representing two of the fallen: The Shaolin cousins Liu Kang and Kung Lao.

Kang and Lao had been members of the Shaolin Monks that had been blessed with hosting the Mortal Kombat tournaments that protected Earthrealm. As children, they had been told of the mighty strength of their ancestor, also named Kung Lao, who had saved the Earth from the clutches of the deadly wizard Shang Tsung and the Outworld, and the fearsome might of then champion, Prince Goro of the Shokan. The four-armed half-man-half-dragon had been employed by a then elderly Shang Tsung to win the tournament in an attempt to take over the Earth. Fueled by a burning desire to bring justice to their ancestor, Liu Kang and Kung Lao trained most of their life in the Shaolin martial arts in the hopes of competing in the Mortal Kombat tournament. With his cousin supporting him, Liu Kang was able to defeat Goro and Shang Tsung, becoming Earthrealm's champion(*).

Despite this great triumph, there was an equally great fall. Kung Lao had fallen, slain by the Outworld Emperor Shao Kahn. In order to change the future and prevent Armageddon, Raiden had thought that perhaps Kung Lao was destined to defeat the Emperor, but he had been wrong. Further attempts at prohibiting a dark future cost the lives of more and more allies, and it was finally after the death of his beloved Princess Kitana that Liu Kang renounced Raiden as a madman, a God at the end of his rope. The two engaged in Kombat, and the Thunder God accidentally slew his greatest champion. Earth prevailed in the end, but Raiden had always deeply regretted the loss of these two warriors, whom he had watched blossom from eager and hard-working students to masters of their arts. As he had told their trainer, Bo Rai Cho, it was as if he had condemned two of his own sons to their death. Even now, Liu Kang's last mortal words were like an echo chamber in his head: "You have killed us all."(**)

Raiden opened his piercing eyes, always glowing with mystical lightning, and looked at the mirror that was placed next to the shrine. It wasn't difficult to see the change that the continual loss of allies had done to him; his godly robes, once as blue as the Jinsei, were now black, with intimidating golden armor added to his chest and shoulders. His hat, a straw dish shape, was now adorned with a golden thunder bolt. Most striking was the golden amulet attached to his chest that kept his deep scarlet cloth pinned; this had formerly been the fallen Elder God Shinnok's source of power. Raiden felt that by keeping it literally close to his chest, it would never again fall into the wrong hands.(***)

Along with his attire, his attitude toward defending Earth had gone in a different direction. No longer content with just the "defending" of Earth, Raiden was now willing to aggressively seek and destroy potential threats at any cost. He had already sent warnings to both Kotal Kahn of Outworld and Liu Kang, who now ruled the Netherrealm with Kitana as his Queen, both having become twisted undead monsters.(****) If they had done anything to hurt Cassandra, there would be no quarter given and no mercy shown; the battle would end with the guilty party a smoldering corpse at the hands of the God of Thunder.

Content with his prayer, Raiden walked out of the room and respectfully shut the door before leaving. A long, dark hallway greeted him on his way to the one room where his power could be most amplified: the Jinsei Chamber. Along the way, he passed several orange-garbed Shaolin monks, who merely showed Raiden the top of their bald heads in bows of approval as he walked by. The only source of light came from the natural, pulsing electricity that seemed to dance along Raiden's body and light up the hallway with a faint bluish glow.

As always, the Jinsei Chamber had a pulse as the liquid stirring within ebbed and bubbled in the large center chamber. Along the walls, statues and stone murals recounted the glory of victory and the agony of defeat along the history of Earthrealm's existence. Raiden, present at all these events, had personally overseen the design of this chamber to pay just reverence to his greatest enemies and his fallen comrades. The Jinsei's natural healing effects helped soothe the Thunder God's rattled faith as he stepped up to the platform that peeked out just above the pool.

"As the lifeblood of this great Earth, I beg you grant me the strength to find my missing pupil," he muttered, a small incantation of prayer before he began.

Hands at his waist and eyes closed, Raiden focused entirely on what was in front of him, letting the Jinsei's quiet power overtake him so he could better enhance his own abilities. Part of Raiden's godliness included the ability to seek out individuals through the power of the Jinsei, as it connected all of Earth together. Finding Cassie should have been easy; the innate power flowing within her made her stand out greatly in contrast to the rest of the mortals.

But, as Raiden combed through the Earth trying to find traces of power, he just found the same recurring characters. Sonya Blade, her mother and commanding officer, in North America, the portly Bo Rai Cho, a longtime friend and powerful martial artist, and of course Johnny Cage, the longtime protector of Earth and Cassie's father. There was no sign of Cassie, and he was about to retire to meditate and plea for the Elder God's assistance when something very small began to register on his mental map.

There! Somewhere in the tip of Southern Japan there had been a mark, a smudge of power that Cassie had left.

"She is not far from her training grounds. Whomever has done this to her shall not take another step as a mortal in this realm," he hissed, the current running through his body increasing as his zeal did.

It wasn't a complete assurance that she wasn't unharmed, but finding this hint of life greatly revitalized Raiden's confidence that she would be found quickly. Without hesitation, he let go of his concentration and walked away from the platform, eyes blazing with the sparks of his power. Within an instant, a flash of white light illuminated the chamber and Raiden before disappearing just as quickly. Raiden was nowhere to be seen; his teleportation abilities had already done their magic.

* * *

 _4/28/12, Inaba, Yasogami Flood Plain_

As always, a bolt of mystical lightning left the ground smoking as Raiden reappeared from thin air at his intended destination: the town of Inaba, where he had last seen a glimpse of Cassandra's life energy. He had appeared alongside a river, its dark waters lapping the edge of the bank. It was nighttime, and the streets above were thankfully clean of any innocent mortals who may interfere with his plan. Raiden had the ability to warp his appearance into something much more common, but rarely felt the need, even less so in these pressing times. Once he saw the coast was clear, he reached for the amulet off his chest and held it flat in his palm. After a moment of concentration, two ethereal heads appeared from the jewel in the center of the talisman.

"Hanzo Hasashi, Kuai Liang, I may have found Cassandra Cage. She left a trail of her energy in Inaba, not more than a few hours from Iga. This is the only trace I could find, and it is faint, but there may yet be hope for her," he announced to his ghostly audience. One of the heads, a Chinese-looking man with short black hair, a thick beard, and a faded scar down his right eye nodded.

"This is fortuitous, Raiden. I will arrive before dawn, with some of my finest men. We will find her," he assured, bowing in reverence to the Thunder God. Raiden shook his head sternly, not pleased with Kuai's proclamation.

"This will not do. We will not cause a disturbance in this town unless we absolutely need to. You two can act as my eyes and ears once the daylight resumes. If yourself or Hanzo Hasashi cannot find Cassandra, then we will call for necessary reinforcements. Until then, this matter stays restricted to just the three of us. Is this understood?"

Kuai looked like he was about to protest, but instead closed his eyes and nodded. "As you wish, Lord Raiden. Hasashi, I trust you are capable of finding your way?"

The other man, who was Japanese with long black hair tied in a ponytail and a thinner beard than his companion, put a hand over his chest in a show of resoluteness. "Rest assured, my Shirai Ryu and I know the area well. I will arrive within the hour; see it to it that you can keep your pace, Lin Kuei," the man jabbed, a mildly mocking tone in his voice.

"Clearly you do not know of what the Lin Kuei is capable of, Shirai Ryu," Kuai answered back, equally acerbic.

Raiden had little patience at this point for this banter. "I care little for these tired old wounds, Hasashi! Have not you and the Lin Kuei settled these affairs?" He asked, referring to the recent peace agreement between both Kuai's Lin Kuei clan and Hanzo's Shirai Ryu.(*****)

The two clans had been at war for decades, dating back to Hanzo's murder by Kuai's older brother, Bi Han. Hanzo had been led to believe that the Lin Kuei was responsible not just for his death, but for that of Hanzo's wife, son, and entire clan. Kuai had recently shown Hanzo evidence that this story of genocide was a fabrication by the sorcerer Quan Chi, whom Hanzo had since dealt with, thus ending the long cold war between the clans.

A small chuckle came from the mouth of the Shirai Ryu leader, "Peace, Thunder God; a mere jest at the expense of our comrade. I am fortunate to have his assistance in the manner," Hanzo assured. Raiden was still unhappy with his tone, but brushed it aside in the wake of their ongoing crisis.

"Very well. I will see if this town has any marks of the Outworld or Netherrealm. I will reveal my findings once I have conducted a thorough search. Farewell, Grandmasters," Raiden said, powering down the amulet in his hands and watching the apparitions of his companions disappear. He fastened the trinket back to his chest and began to focus hard on searching for any hint of magic that may have existed in the town. Because the secret of the Realms' existence was so heavily guarded, any trace sources of magic or otherworldly power would be an immediate cause of concern for Raiden.

The gentle hum of the river helped Raiden to concentrate, and before long he began to get a sense of the flow of the land. Usually, if the land was pure and untainted, Raiden could feel the whole of the area through his feet, almost like he was a conductor for the Earth's natural pulse. Everything appeared to be coordinated, when a small buzz, like a twitch within a dream, roused him from his peaceful meditation.

As a God of the elements, Raiden was particularly durable; it would take a massive amount of force, far beyond the usual output of most humans, to overpower the Thunder God. Despite this, Raiden did have a vulnerability: a sensitivity to otherworldly magic. He didn't wither and die at exposure to it, but it did affect him far more than any physical attack. That little jolt of discomfort was _exactly_ what he had felt any time magic was in his nearby surroundings. He silently prayed to the Elder Gods that his suspicions would not be confirmed as he raised a hand to the sky to teleport once again.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the middle of the road closer to the center of town. He assumed it to be the local marketplace, as several business signs glowed dimly in the night to announce that they were closed. Whatever magical energies he had roused in his scan of the land appeared to be converging in this area. He briefly assumed that the shrine nearby was the source he was looking for, but a nagging buzzing, almost like an errant fly, kept forcing his gaze in a small nook to his left.

The nook was in between a shop simply called "Yomenaido" and a shop with traditional Japanese lettering that Raiden read as "Daidara." On closer inspection, it seemed to be an antique weapon shop, nothing out of the ordinary for a small town such as this. There truly seemed to be nothing there, but Raiden knew better. His ancient eyes squinted as he put his hands out, a guttural noise emerging from his throat as he recalled ancient knowledge that was thousands of years old.

"Cha taaaa….rahmalayga…Esaltika…"

The more he chanted, the more his fingertips crackled with the mystical power of the electricity that glowed on his body like the veins of a mortal. Aiming carefully, he conjured a large burst of lightning directly into the thin air that existed between the two shops, nodding as it appeared to be striking a surface that was nonexistent. He poured on the power as his incantation grew faster.

"Chataah, rahmalaykorth, bahr fentikah, esaltikah!"

With that final shout the lightning began to take shape in the air, forming into a tall rectangular shape. As the pulses of blue static fizzled out, Raiden could see that what he had discovered was not a portal to another world, but rather a tall double door. Like his old outfit, the door was a deep blue color and glowed with a strange and powerful magic that was foreign to the Thunder God. A beautiful gold design covered the door like an intricate spider web. Curiously, there was no handle, only a small keyhole on the right side.

This was not a good sign; while he dreaded a potential Outworld or Netherrealm invasion, the unknown was perhaps even worse. There were many realms that could potentially have the power to meddle in Earthrealm's affairs, and even Raiden had not seen most of them. Just what was happening in this town? He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind as he approached the door, eager to find what was on the other side and destroy it.

If the past twenty-five years had been any indication, defense was no longer good enough to save Earthrealm or his chosen warriors from certain doom. Whatever waited for him beyond the door, he knew his first instinct would be to kill. Briefly, he wondered how his thoughts, once so pure and concerned with everlasting peace, had turned so violent, but his inability to open the door through conventional means interrupted these deep thoughts.

This, too, was no surprise to the electrical deity; there was rarely a simple way to open a gateway into another realm. Typically, Raiden could use his teleportation ability to instantly be at any location he so desired, but there was limits even to his power. The other realms had invisible but impenetrable magic barriers that were created by the Elder Gods to quell any accidental merging of the realms. Because of these barriers, Raiden could not just teleport to any location outside Earthrealm should it go through those magical barriers. He tried to conjure an image in his mind for how he could go through it, but this door was proving to be no different, and he couldn't capture a location in his mind to warp to.

Annoyed but not particularly worried, Raiden simply lifted a gloved hand and extended his index finger at the small keyhole. A single bolt of lightning suddenly exploded from the tip of his finger and right into the tiny abyss, briefly illuminating the darkness. There was a loud noise, like an exaggerated lighter flick, and the door creaked as a slight crack began to open in the middle of it. Raiden smirked; as what usually seemed to be the case, the best way to find the flaw in a magic system was to simply overpower it with magic of your own. This soothed his thoughts, as whoever had constructed the door had not built it to protect against a very low level of force, which meant they may not be as fearsome as he had worried.

Palming the door open, he saw there was little beyond a bright light that encompassed everything around it. He had no qualms about handling himself, but he still wondered if it was necessary to enlighten his soon-to-arrive companions about this discovery. He shook the thought away, confident that he could handle the situation himself. After all, what foolish realm would dare raise a hand to the Thunder God?

Raiden took a tall step into the doorway, letting the light engulf him as he took more steps into the unknown. He briefly felt his body go light, a familiar feeling that came when crossing over from one world and into another. There seemed to be no end to the now obnoxious brightness, when just as fast as he had entered the light, he was dropped into a crushing darkness.

* * *

 _4/28/12 ?_

When his feet once again found solid ground, he noticed it was a strangely hard, rough surface. Looking around him, he saw a sky suspiciously devoid of stars, even of a moon. The only thing he knew for certain he was no longer in Earthrealm, but he had no clue as to where he might have been taken. Focusing for a moment, his white eyes crackled, and suddenly his vision cleared up very quickly, illuminated by his power.

He was on a boat, sailing aimlessly into the abyss of blackness that surrounded it. The ocean, which would make a degree of noise even in calm weather, lay silent and still like a corpse. Even stranger, a modern cabin sat humming on the opposite deck, the only sign of life in the otherwise listless world. Raiden couldn't sense any meaningful level of power, so he began to stride undeterred toward the other side of the ship.

As he walked, he began to notice some more oddities. The ship was coated in what appeared to be blue drapes, but upon closer inspection, the fabric revealed itself to be velvet. Why a ship as old and crusty as this would be decorated in such fine cloth furthered served to puzzle the Deity. As he was passing a hand on the blue velvet sail that hung limply from the mast in the center of the ship, he heard a voice pierce the loud silence.

"You are an intruder, no?"

Shocked at the casualness with which he was being addressed, Raiden whipped around to see a figure emerge from the darkness on the other side of the ship. It was a woman, pale and beautiful, dressed in a shiny blue dress that lead to blue heels. Blonde hair lay trapped and pretty behind a blue headband. The only other color on the woman was on her lips: ruby red lipstick that stuck out amongst all the dark blue.

"You," he began, slowly taking a step toward the woman, "You are an inhabitant of this realm?"

The woman nodded, a mirthful chuckle coming from her lips. "I am. And you are an intruder, if I am correct. My master does not take lightly to intrusion, and neither do I."

It was at this point that Raiden suddenly noticed that she held a book in her hands. Book was an understatement-this was a massive tome which looked to have considerable weight from the number of pages trapped within. The casualness with which she held the heavy book made him take what she had said a little more seriously.

"I care little for what you or your master think," he growled, his eyes sparking again out of anger, "I have come seeking an Earthrealmer left in my charge. I have reason to believe she may have passed through here, and I seek the truth." He punctuated his statement by taking a step forward and forming two thunder orbs in his hands, showing his impatience at this act of insubordination.

Despite the Thunder God's peacocking, the girl in blue maintained a calm demeanor as she looked to her left and watched as two figures emerged from the cabin at the back of the ship. One of them was quite tall, the other much shorter; as they stepped out of the shadows, Raiden spat as he instantly recognized the shorter figure.

"Why, if it isn't Lord Raiden! Welcome to the Velvet Room!" the shorter figure boomed, his voice reaching all the way across the ship amidst the dreadful silence. Raiden had not dealt with this figure in some time, and was not keen on seeing him again.

"So, this is the Thunder God? His ferocity is certainly…electrifying," the taller man said seemingly to no one. Raiden ignored him and kept his attention focused on the grinning man.

"Servant of Philemon, what world have I entered? I would seek word with your master," he announced, turning his attention to the small, big nosed man on the deck. Millennia prior, Raiden had encountered the god Philemon, a minor God, when he sought the aid of other deities for the war against Shinnok. Philemon had declined, stating that it was his wish to see if Earthrealm could sustain itself through the triumph of its own spirit. Raiden had been aware that Philemon often acted through agents, with Igor being the most notorious.(******)

As always, Igor's grin was constant and his eyes bulging as he addressed the Thunder God. "I am afraid your request cannot be honored, Lord Raiden. My Master is not available, nor would he entertain an audience with you, quite frankly." Igor said this casually, which did not help Raiden's increasingly short fuse.

"Philemon has always chosen to be an observer when others have needed his aid. You _will_ fetch your master, Igor, or else face the wrath of the Thunder God!"

Raiden's patience was at its end. Millennia prior, Raiden had encountered the god Philemon, a minor God, when he sought the aid of other deities for the war against Shinnok. Philemon had declined, stating that it was his wish to see if Earthrealm could sustain itself through the triumph of its own spirit. Raiden had always harbored a grudge against those who would have denied him help in his righteous cause, and this was overpowering his normally calm demeanor.

Igor, to his credit, remained un-phased by the escalation of the Thunder God's anger. "I warn you just this once, Lord Raiden, that violence in the Velvet Room is _strictly_ prohibited. As you are an uninvited guest, I would suggest that you leave at once before things must become unpleasant.' Despite the threatening nature of his words, Igor's behavior was as bizarrely calm as ever

Raiden grit his teeth, the gentle licks of electricity around his body suddenly going into a spasm and growing violent as his rage increased. "I will leave _only_ when I am sated! My pupil is missing, and her trail ends right here in this cursed realm. You will tell me what you have done with her, dog of Philemon, or I will have to _forcefully_ disobey your prohibition!"

For the first time, Igor's eyes narrowed with what appeared to be annoyance, and his grin went from a wide, face-covering arc to a leaner sneer. "I am afraid that I cannot reveal information about any of our previous guests to anyone, particularly those who would break the rules of the Velvet Room. Margaret, Theodore, would you kindly escort our guest to the door?"

Raiden took Igor's vague statement as an acknowledgement that he had seen Cassandra recently, and immediately teleported to the upper deck, right in front of the impish man. Igor looked startled as Raiden seized the tiny man by his lapels, raising him up easily. He had not noticed, but his eyes began to glow a demonic yellow, looking as if he had turned into something else entirely.

"Master!" He heard the young man and woman near him shout.

"You dare treat a _God_ like a common miscreant!? I hope for your sake Philemon cares more for his subjects than you do!" He screamed, turning his attention to the quickly advancing man to his left. Raiden callously tossed the tiny Igor aside and zoomed headfirst into the man's abdomen, shouting an ancient battle cry as he used his electrical power to propel himself through the air and drive the man into the balcony of the deck.

The seemingly ancient wooden balcony gave way immediately, splintering everywhere as the two men continued to rocket across the sky until they reached the mast, where Raiden halted his momentum and began to slowly fall to the main deck. Theodore, the man he had attacked, slammed into the mast, and fell fast in the air, crashing onto the deck with a sickening thud. Raiden sneered as he watched the timber explode near the young man's body; clearly this young man had no idea of the impossibility of the task he was given.

"To so easily have dispatched my sibling…you are strong," the woman on the deck mused as she opened her book, and Raiden watched with a sudden bemusement as a variety of what appeared to be playing cards slowly levitated out of the book and began to oscillate wildly around her, glowing as blue as her dress. As the fervor of the card tornado increased, the girl suddenly began to levitate, hovering roughly three feet above the ground.

"But you know not of the power you trifle with, Thunder God," she hissed, her eyes suddenly ferocious, like a shark who smelled blood, "I am she who governs power; witness the might of my persona!"

Raiden watched stone faced as one of the cards broke into pieces and out came what appeared to be an apparition, a glowing ghost of a caped man dressed in white with long, dark hair. The figure crackled with the same odd velvet blue energy that radiated in the other cards around the woman before drawing a spear from thin air. Raiden was shocked at the speed with which the figure threw the projectile, and was only able to duck at the last possible second before the spear would have rendered his head clean off his shoulders.

"Your power cannot hope to match mine!" Raiden roared, although he was surprised to not see anyone standing before him. No sooner than he had ducked did the projection disappear, along with the woman.

Raiden quickly scanned the length of the deck for any sign of the woman, only to sense her presence immediately behind him. Just before he could fully turn his head, a blue high-heeled shoe rocketed into his chin, stunning the deity. He was shocked at how hard of a hit this seemingly petite woman could land on him; he was so surprised that he barely noticed the woman land and place her arms around his waist and grab on tight.

Within seconds, Raiden felt himself flying up through the dark sky and then down equally as fast, his head slamming into the tough wooden planks of the deck and then crashing straight through to the lower holds. Raiden felt his head crack against what felt like iron, sending his equilibrium into a spiral as he tried to find his bearings. Struggling to his knees, he looked up to see the Thunder God-shaped hole that had deposited him into the darkness, and his attacker peering down in it.

"Hmm, is that all? Pity…I had expected more from you," she said with a haughty tone, casually running a hand through her hair as she slammed her tome shut. Raiden growled, reaching for the straw hat which had fallen off his head from the scuffle.

"Hold your tongue, witch! This contest is far from decided!" As soon as the words left his lips, Raiden was already teleporting through time and space, aiming for the spot just in front of his opponent. As he was reappearing, Raiden lashed out, his palm pulsing with electrical particles as it rushed toward the woman's face. She dodged this strike and the next before forcing the Thunder God onto defense with an elbow strike that was preceded by a circle of five of the spinning cards.

"Ardha, to me!" The woman in blue yelled. Another card explosion hailed the appearance of another spirit, a massive creature with four arms and an oddly painted body. This mysterious woman lurched forward, grabbing for Raiden with a palm glowing ablaze. The move looked ferocious but was quite slow, and Raiden dodged it with ease before landing a knife edge chop to the side of the thing's neck. It suddenly evaporated into the air, to the surprise of the woman. Raiden took advantage of the temporary distraction and ran forward, placing a palm on the chest of the woman and blowing her back with an explosive burst of electricity. She careened down the deck, smoldering from the strike.

"My power is not one that can be governed!" Raiden boomed, standing tall as he felt the familiar flow of kombat begin to power his movement and thought process.

As the woman writhed, Theodore suddenly sat up and watched her as she tried to get back to her feet.

"S-Sister!" He cried, struggling to get up and rush over to her, "I will deal with this most intrusive guest! Watch!"

Raiden decided it would be in his best efforts to not have to fight both servants at the same time; one teleport and a sliding uppercut later, this was no longer a concern. Theodore crumpled to the ground again, groaning as he struggled to stay conscious. The woman, Margaret, got up again, this time with the spirit of an armored Japanese samurai hanging over her shoulder.

"Leave my brother alone; your fight is with me, Thunder God," she stated firmly, walking back toward the center of the deck. Raiden calmly walked over to meet her face to face.

"And my quarrel lies with your master, not you. Surrender, and you may live to serve him again," Raiden said icily, his palms again glowing with thunderous energy. Normally he would not have issued such threats, but his newfound will to defend Earthrealm at any costs had long shut out his previous desires to protect even the vilest of lives.

"Such confidence. I'm even more intrigued," Margaret chuckled, sending her samurai to slice at Raiden with twin katanas. Both swipes missed Raiden, but Margaret's follow up offensive of sending more flaming cards at him connected. Each card burned with an odd sensation, a magic that was as foreign as it was painful. The final card struck him right in the forehead and knocked him to the floor, groaning in agony. Before he could even attempt to use his hands to get up, Margaret followed up with her next attack. The four-armed ghost from before appeared again, summoning a giant golden hand in midair that curled into a fist and crushed Raiden where he lay, sending him once again into the lower intestines of the ship.

Raiden was rattled. His godly body rarely suffered the ill effects of a fight like other mortals, but even now he could feel a bit of blood trickling to his teeth and onto his bottom lip, the unfamiliar copper taste unpleasant on his tongue. The massive hand must have caused some internal damage; each breath was agony as he once again wobbled to his feet in the darkness of the lower ship. He looked up, and was thankful he did, for the giant fist was coming down again to finish him. He teleported out of the way and back onto the front deck on shaky legs. Magic had always had ill effects on him, and he feared he may have been over his head in choosing to tackle this woman without the help of his allies. Margaret looked scarily confident as the two circled each other.

The samurai appeared again, its two katanas aimed directly for the Thunder God's throat. Instead of waiting like a sitting duck for Margaret's follow-up attack, Raiden quickly thought of a plan to trick her. Instead of simply dodging the samurai's swords he teleported far down the deck away from the samurai. As he predicted, Margaret came in with a low kick hoping that her ghost's attack would blind the Thunder God to this surprising attack. With such a distance put between them with his teleport, Raiden had enough time to teleport once again while Margaret was still trying to get back up and grab her by the collar, the electricity in his body coursing down through his hands and down to Margaret.

Convulsing, Margaret shrieked as the intensity of the shocks went higher and higher. Before long, the tights that kept her legs covered began to rip from the electricity, and her hair broke out of its loose band and stood on end. She was finally able to summon a card into her hand and slice Raiden across the cheek to get him to let go of his hold. She backed away panting as Raiden got to his feet, feeling that he was close to ending this battle. He wheezed trying to get some air into his lungs as Margaret began speaking softly, her hold on the book shaky and unstable, much like Raiden's legs.

"You…you are strong," Margaret muttered as Raiden approached, "Stronger than even _he_ was. I had heard of your prowess, Lord Raiden, but to experience it first hand is…" she trailed off, coughing as her body still jittered from the effects of Raiden's shock. If he was going to get any information, he figured now was the time.

"Tell me the location of Cassandra Cage, and you will leave with your life," he muttered, conjuring a threatening electrical blast, "Elsewise, you may pay for your transgressions in the Netherrealm." Margaret only laughed, shaking her head.

"The s-secrets of the Velvet Room are protected by the contract signed by the chosen guest and my master…breach of that contract would be tant-urgh!"

Raiden could hear no more of her almost robotic disaffirmation and attacked before she had finished speaking. He thrust the blast in his hand forward and expelled even more energy, creating an explosive burst that struck Margaret right in the abdomen. While she was still stunned, he teleported behind her and slammed an elbow as hard as he could directly in her lower back. He could hear her cry of pain as he teleported in front of her one last time and brought the edge of his right hand down right onto her forehead, keeping her staggered. Lastly, Raiden conjured up a ball of lightning, holding it directly in front of Margaret's face.

"Pitiful creature," he sighed, letting the ball burst right in Margaret's face and knocking her down to the deck, unmoving. Before he could move any farther, he ducked the attack of Theodore, who had gotten back up and desperately tried to take a swing at the Thunder God.

"Y-you will cease this attack! My sister has taught me the deadly art of the "Quivering Child," and I will have no issue employing this in my defense!" Theodore yelped, assuming what looked like the fetal position while standing. Raiden, fed up with his shenanigans, broke Theodore's "stance" with a front kick.

"The wise know when to yield!" Raiden said, giving Theodore a chop to the neck and then a face full of his elbow before taking the stunned attendant down to the deck with force. As an added burst of aggression, Raiden shot lightning from his fingertips and zapped Theodore until he was forcefully scooted across the planks right next to his sister. Like her, he too had smoke sauntering off his figure as he lay defeated.

Margaret got up on a shaky foot, but the instability brought on by the heel of her shoe caused her to stumble, and the large tome in her hands fell almost in slow motion to the ground, clattering open as it lay wheezing in the still air of the Velvet Room. The cards that had been so effortlessly swirling around her fell lifeless, scattering about as Raiden stepped over to the seemingly defeated pair.

"W-wait, please cease this attack, Lord Raiden!"

Raiden craned his neck to see Igor hurriedly rushing toward them, huffing and puffing as he did. He collapsed on his knees as he approached, still suffering the effects of Raiden's throttling earlier.

"I…I cannot al-allow you to continue this senseless battery! The Elder Gods will-"

"They will stay _silent_!" Raiden roared, his yellow eyes ablaze with righteous fury, "I have done nothing wrong in defense of the realm I have sworn to protect! _You_ have condemned these children to death with your insolence!"

With that, the Thunder God charged up unspeakable levels of electricity in his fingertips and cast them deviously at the defeated velvet siblings. Within moments, their bodies coursed with the static blue magic, their screams echoing across the soundless void.

For Raiden, this was just the beginning. The other realms _needed_ to see the depths that he would go to defend Earthrealm, and if Shinnok was not enough, then perhaps these two would be. Writhing, Margaret did her best to crawl to her sibling and cover his body with hers, trying to absorb the brunt of the attack, although this did little to stop it. After a few seconds, Raiden felt a tugging on the armor attached to his hip. It was Igor, still on his knees, bulging bloodshot eyes looking frightened.

"A-alright, alright, you have made your point, Lord Raiden, you have! I…I will submit to you all the knowledge that I have," Igor sobbed ashamedly. Raiden, intrigued, stopped his assault on the siblings, not turning to face Igor. He watched as Margaret tried to revive Theodore, long unconscious, as her own body still twitched with the might of Raiden's shocks.

"Tell me falsities, and your dogs will be ash on this deck," He seethed, one hand at the ready to annihilate Margaret and Theodore. It was a moment before he heard Igor speak.

"Y-yes, well, I-er, see this is difficult to convey into words, I, well…there was a woman by the name of Cassandra Cage here, and we did speak but…". He paused, seemingly unsure of how to best continue. The sparks in Raiden's hand grew in strength.

"My patience has an expiration within the next second. Speak, imp!"

Igor balked before stammering out an explanation as best he could, "S-S-She _denied_ my service! No contract was signed, therefore I do not know where she is! Please, it's the truth, and I have _never_ swayed from t-telling it, I swear before all the might of Philemon it is true!"

Raiden's eyes perked before he finally turned to face the pathetic thing quivering below him. If there was no contract, why had he denied speaking with Raiden earlier on the basis of that contract? He took a few menacing steps forward, which caused Igor to yelp and move backwards on his hands as quickly as he could.

"So, you were merely withholding the truth until it was enough to save you from certain death, yes? Cur of Philemon…your life is at its end!" He hissed, his whole body becoming a conduit for a seemingly impossible amount of lightning.

"N-no, please, it's not that! We cannot assume responsibility for our guests once they leave our charge, it is strictly forbidden!" Igor cried, hitting the steps leading back up to his cabin, out of room to run from the enraged deity before him.

"There is nothing else to debate. Die! Chataa, rahmayal- _Urgh!_ "

Something incredibly heavy smashed into Raiden's temple as he began his final attack, knocking him down harshly to the floor, his hat spinning wildly toward the mast. Before he could even react to the sharp pain, another object slammed hard into his ribcage, making him roll further down the deck. Combined with the might of Margaret's golden fist attack from earlier, his central system seemed collapsed, and more blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to maintain focus.

Looking to his right, he could only see vague shapes. One looked thinner than the rest, and tall; it was not Igor who had attacked him, so who could it have been? The figure approached, its body language vicious.

"Why are you messing with long nose? And what happened to Margaret and her creep brother? Did you hurt them!? Stupidstrawhatjerkwithnoeyes!"

* * *

 **Man, Raiden is not messing around! Who is this mysterious attacker!? Will the Velvet Room live to see another day?! Tune in next time, same KP time, same KP channel, and we'll see what happens. Read and review, subscribe if you like, but let me know what you think either way! Thanks!**

 **Footnotes:**

 ***- The essential plot of the first Mortal Kombat game, as revisited in _Mortal Kombat 9_**

 ****- The climax of _Mortal Kombat 9's_ story**

 *****- As seen at the end of _Mortal Kombat X's_ story**

 ******- Also seen at the end of _Mortal Kombat X's_ story**

 *******- As revealed in the previous Persona games before _3_ and _4_**


	3. Chapter 2: Yukiko

**Welcome back to P4:K! This chapter will see our first glimpse of the Investigation Team and how they are handling the aftermath of what has happened. As promised, I now have footnote stars in every chapter that will hopefully clear up background lore for those unfamiliar with either series. I will be using less of these as the story moves toward the meat of the action. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _4/28/12, Junes Food Court_

"…And that was it. Naoto, Rise, did you guys notice anything else?"

"No, that was an accurate summation, Yosuke-senpai."

"Yeah, I don't think you missed anything."

"So, what the hell!? Was there someone else there the whole time and we missed it or somethin'?"

"My usually bear-rific nose was sabotaged, Chie-chan! I was like a…a…"

"Reg'lar person?"

"I-it sounds so h-harsh that way, Kanji…sniffff"

"Don't be mean to Teddie, Moronji! We were in trouble…"

"Hey, knock it off wi'that! Didn't mean nothin' by it! Jus' sayin' that with you and Ted locked up, we were just stumblin' around. Coulda missed some other creep."

"Y'know, we never _actually_ found out who was behind the thing with that robo chick. Maybe this is all connected in some way?"

"Hmm, I would concur, Yosuke-senpai, but there are some flaws with that theory."

"Like what?"

"Well, for starters…"

Yukiko Amagi sighed, finding it very difficult to keep up with the stream of consciousness that was bursting throughout the lunch bench at the Junes megastore. It was the first time in what seemed like ages that the whole group of high school friends was meeting normally at their favorite hangout spot, and already there was a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere amongst the seven normally jovial teenagers.

Yukiko understood why, of course. Yosuke Hanamura, who had been dominating the conversation, had called her frantically just past midnight the previous day. Apparently, there had been yet another broadcast of the mysterious Midnight Channel(*), a television program that seemed to air only at midnight on non-foggy days in Inaba. Over the course of the past year, Yukiko and her friends had discovered that they were actually viewing an alternate, twisted world that existed within the TV itself, and that the images on screen were the true thoughts of those trapped within it. Worse still, the people portrayed on the TV had been kidnapped and thrown in to be trapped at the mercy of their darkest and most repressed thoughts, dubbed their Shadow self.(**)

After being rescued herself, Yukiko was forced to confront her own negative thoughts and use it as strength to fuel her resolve. Now dubbed her "Persona," the shadowy entity that had appeared on the midnight channel became a source of great personal strength to her. Together, she and her friends had not only discovered who was putting people in it, but also the source of the TV World's creation, and seemingly destroyed it. Despite this triumph, the temporary peace would not last.

Just a few days earlier, yet another "Shadow" had shown itself on the Midnight Channel, and the Investigation Team, as they called themselves, reunited and ventured back into the TV World to rescue whomever was trapped. Trapped in a strange tournament, the team braved the pitfalls put in place to stop them and wound up rescuing a strange android female named Labrys, who had been spirited into the TV by an unknown, malevolent entity.(***) Yukiko had barely felt recovered from that adventure before she had gotten the disturbing call from Yosuke.

"…and considering all those circumstances, I find the theory circumstantial at best."

"Okay, okay, braniac! Got it, my theory stinks, let's move on…"

"'Ey man lay off her! She's just tryin' to be, y'know, realistic or whatever about it!"

"Yeah, you don't have to be so rude, Yosuke!"

"Well at least I'm trying! What're you doin'?!"

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do: go back in and kick some ass!"

"Alright, Chie-Chan! I say we bear arms against whatever Shadow is in there!"

"Yeah, awright Ted, now you're talkin'!"

Despite some of the group's eagerness to head back into the TV world, something else was on the forefront of Yukiko's mind as she tried to figure out a way to enter the chaotic conversation taking place in front of her. It was an awkward subject, and one she wasn't entirely sure how to breach without sounding a bit absurd. Nevertheless, she cleared her throat and did her best to enunciate loud and clear.

"U-um, you guys, I have something I need to ask," she started meekly. Everyone continued to talk, either unaware or uncaring of her question. Frustrated, she raised her voice a little.

" _Everyone!_ "

That got their attention. Yukiko was typically demure and a bit quiet in these kinds of situations, so hearing her raise her voice typically meant business. Chie Satonaka, her best friend, turned to her, an apologetic look on her face. Like Yukiko, Chie was still in her school uniform, a white shirt with a black sailor collar and checkered black skirt. Chie's green and yellow warm-up jacket, usually always on in some manner, was tightly tied around her waist.

"Geez, sorry! I guess we were talkin' kinda loud," she said, shyly rubbing her auburn, bowl-shaped hair. The others all mumbled little admissions of guilt, but quickly quieted themselves to hear what Yukiko had to say.

With all eyes on her, Yukiko became even more nervous and felt her ears grow hot. "I, I-thanks Chie, but I was just trying to…this is awkward, but, um…when we go back into the TV World, who is… going to be our leader?"

If the group had been lively and active before, they immediately fell the exact opposite after hearing Yukiko's question, like she had just announced a death in the family. The term may have sounded silly to anyone listening in, but Yukiko was not alone in the affection she felt for the person the group had unanimously chosen as their leader.

Yu Narukami's magnetic appeal was hard to explain, but the impact he had made in just a year on the seven people seated at the table was unquestionable. He was calm, collected, cool, compelling, and charismatic to boot. When the TV World was first discovered, it was he who first collected his Persona and used to put the boots to the demonic Shadows that inhabited the TV World, and it was also he who figured out who had been behind the kidnappings and murders that took place in Inaba during that year. There was little doubt that Narukami was a very unique and talented invidivual, someone Yukiko was proud to call friend and unashamed to call a romantic interest.

Sadly, his time with the group was doomed from the start; his stay in Inaba was always meant to coincide with his parent's return from a yearlong trip. He had returned home in March, but did take some time out of his schedule to return for Golden Week. Unfortunately, his vacation time coincided with the incident with Labrys, so while he couldn't hang out much, he was able to lead them into battle once again. But now the group faced yet another TV World crisis, and he was well and truly gone.

Yukiko looked up to see that Rise had a particularly glum look on her face, biting her lip to avoid tears. Rise Kujikawa was a famous idol singer who had taken a long sabbatical in Inaba in order to re-focus her career. She was one of the people kidnapped and put in the TV World to be rescued by Yu and the team. Like Yukiko, Rise, too, had strong feelings for the grey-haired boy, but it was Rise who won out in the end: she and Yu became boyfriend and girlfriend just before he left. This had led to a bit of drama between the girls, which they squashed before Yu had come back for Golden Week. (****) Yukiko knew deep down inside that she would be forever jealous of the idol, but cared enough about Rise to suppress it as best she could

It was Yosuke who finally tried to break the silence.

"Gee, I never really thought about that…I mean, do we _haveta_ have one? Just because Yu isn't here doesn't mean he's not the leader, y'know?" He fiddled with the on-ear headphones around his neck, a sign of his skittishness toward the subject.

"Y-yeah! There's only one sensei! We can't just grow another one!" Teddie yelled, his eyes glassy with emotion. Teddie was an inhabitant of the TV World who had come to love the outside world once he stepped foot outside his own world. When he first met the group, he appeared to be wearing a red and blue bear costume, but he revealed that he had no other body. Desperate to fit in, Teddie grew a human body so he could fit in better. This is what he was currently dressed as, with a white button-up and dark trousers that complimented his giant eyes and immaculate blonde hair.

Naoto Shirogane, the ingenious young detective, spoke up next.

"Well, it could be dangerous to fight in battle with such a large group and not have someone providing tactical directions. We could surely appoint a temporary leader in Narukami-senpai's absence," she stated, a melancholy tone in her voice. Next to her, Rise looked sad but nodded in agreeance with her friend's statement.

Naoto and Rise had taken the day off from school, and it showed in their outfits. Naoto looked like she had shown up at Junes from a business meeting: navy blue shirt underneath a black vest that was fashionably unbuttoned at the bottom and dark grey trousers. This was not unusual; the girl detective typically dressed in the style of men so she wouldn't face scrutiny for her childish appearance. Rise, in comparison, was far more casual in a black, low-cut t-shirt and short-shorts with tights underneath for modesty. Her copper hair was loose and flowing, movie-star looks framed well by the dark hair.

"You're probably right, you always are, Naoto, it's just…" Rise broke off, the sting of Yu's recent departure evident in her moist eyes. Yukiko's empathy spiked as she watched Naoto awkwardly but gently pat the singer's shoulder, trying to cheer her up.

"Like she said, it ain't forever, Rise. Jus' enough to get us by 'til he can come take his spot again," Kanji Tatsumi asserted, a confident smile on his face. Kanji was an odd bird, a tall and scary kid who looked like he could go a few rounds with an _Oni_ and live to brag about it. Of course, as the group would find out, his true passion lay in the textile trade; he could knit, sew and design accessories and clothes almost as well as he could fight. He was in his uniform too, although eschewed the white school shirt for a black tanktop with flames dancing across it. A yellow bandana held back his dyed blonde hair, and his nose and ear piercings flashed a deadly silver in the bright light of the afternoon.

"Well, in that case, yeah, I think that makes sense," Rise sniffled, doing her best to not cry. Rise had always been the most emotional, and although she had a history of using crocodile tears to get her way, Yukiko had a feeling these were genuine.

"I wasn't trying to upset you, Rise-chan, I just…thought I should ask, you know?" Yukiko commented, her heart lifting at the gentle smile and nod she got from the starlet.

"Of course, Yukiko-senpai. This could be, I dunno, kinda fun to spice it up a bit!" Rise said, starting to act a little bit more like her usual self.

"But…who should it be?" Yukiko asked to no one in particular. This led to a small flurry of discussion amongst the table, until a shuffling noise interrupted the chatter.

Yosuke had stood up, a cheesy grin on his face. His white school shirt was unbuttoned to reveal an orange collared shirt of a similar color.

"What are you guys worried about? I'll do my best to fill my partner's shoes! Shouldn't be too tough; I mean, how hard is it to tell someone to bash the brains of a shadow, am I right?" He gave a chuckle in the sense that everyone might catch his infections laughter, but the table was silent as he looked around confused.

"What? Too ra-ra-ra?"

"More like no-no-no! Why the heck would _you_ be the leader, Yosuke!?" Chie screeched, smacking her hands on the table for emphasis. Yukiko sighed; Chie and Yosuke were like a brother and sister who would rather climb a tree and argue then stay on the ground and admit that they cared about one another. She decided it would be in her best interest to cool the fires before they burned out of control.

"Well, Chie, he _has_ a point. He's a manager here, right?"

Yukiko thought Yosuke was obnoxious a lot of times, and sometimes he could come across as a real jerk in the wrong mood, but there wasn't a lot of room to doubt his leadership acumen. Since he had moved to Inaba almost two years earlier, he had a management job at the very Junes store they were sitting at. This was no mom and pop shop either; Yosuke managed at least thirty workers on average and was usually fairly serious about his job.

He gave Yukiko a surprised look as she finished speaking. "Damn, thanks Yukiko! See, Chie? Even your best bud doesn't agree with you! Just admit defeat and we can move on…"

Chie growled and was about to speak up when Rise popped up herself, a cheeky grin plastered on her previously morose face. Chie had once said it, but Yukiko now agreed that someone with as much power over her emotions as Rise had was indeed "scary."

"Forget about Yosuke, we have a perfectly capable leader who actually _has_ lead investigations right here," she cried, reaching to her left and yanking a bewildered Naoto to her feet along with her, "May I present the fabulous, mysterious, brand new leader of the Investigation Team, Ms. Naoto Shirogane _!"_

Yukiko and Chie looked at each other, a bit surprised at the sudden burst of energy from Rise. However, as Yukiko mulled the idea over in her head, she found she couldn't _disagree_ with it; Rise was right in that Naoto had extensive experience in conducting large scale investigations. Plus, as she had seen in previous TV World excursions, Naoto knew how to fight and keep calm under pressure. She didn't doubt Yosuke's strength, but wondered if he had as iron a resolve.

Naoto looked horribly embarrassed, her eyes wide and face red. "W-well…I'd be honored, of course, to fill our senpai's shoes, but I…"

"Don't act so modest, Naoto! You'd be perfect, right Kanji?" Rise said teasingly. Kanji gulped and seemed to freeze up, his lax look disappearing in favor of a nervous chattering of teeth.

"I-I think that…y-yeah, definitely! _Hell yeah_! S-shouldn'ta even been an argument, honestly…" He was doing his best to hide the blood that was collecting on his face to no avail. Rise giggled, which made both Naoto and Kanji more red.

Yosuke had had enough, and sharply turned to the idol and the detective. "Are you _kidding!?_ Sure, she's dealt with police stuff, but this is _above_ the police! And who's had more experience than me? Yu and I were the _first_ to go in the TV World and get our Personas, in case you forgot," he argued, sneering proudly as he recalled the team's first foray into the TV World.

Teddie, clearly lost before, bounced excitedly in his seat at Yosuke's nostalgic musings. "Ooooohh yeah, I remem-bear! We went to that grizzly store and fought your shadow!"

Yosuke grunted, rolling his eyes. "You say "we," like you helped, Ted!"

"I gave Sensei the energy he needed to beat that nasty shadow!"

Yukiko mulled this over in her head, but before she could finish the thought, Naoto offered her take on the situation.

"Seniority rarely matters when it comes to leadership," she began, her blush disappearing and her icy resolve returning as she continued, "And if that's the case, I was investigating and solving mysteries before you were out of primary school."

" _Oooohhh!_ " Chie and Rise cheered, enjoying the roasting of Yosuke, who mumbled and crossed his arms, embarrassment on his face.

"Daamn, she gotcha there!" Chie joked, sticking her tongue out at her victim.

"Chie…" Yukiko sighed, earning a sheepish grin from her best friend. She was starting to feel a little bad for Yosuke, who really seemed like he was fighting an uphill battle all by himself.

"Man, whatever! C'mon, Yukiko, you agree with me, right!?" Yosuke begged, looking toward her. Yukiko froze, knowing that now the entire attention of the table was going to turn to her. It was strange: these were her friends, _very_ close friends at that, but with everyone staring at her like this, she felt strangely alone. Chie was grinning as she nudged Yukiko in the side.

"As if! Yukiko knows better, don'tcha!?" she urged, eager to hear Yukiko's response.

"W-well…I think that…" Yukiko stopped, trying to not stumble on her words. Why was this so _difficult?_ She wished everyone would stop gaping at her, and looking down at the table didn't help the nagging feeling of dread go away.

"Before you answer, Yukiko-senpai, I have a proposition: there are seven of us here, so let's put this to a vote. That would provide a fair and just way to determine our leader, yes?" Naoto said calmly, meeting the eyes of all her friends. Yukiko nodded and breathed easily inside, knowing she had been saved from having to give her real answer by the detective. Everyone else slowly nodded and agreed, and Naoto spoke up once again when the murmur died down.

"Am I correct in assuming there are no candidates other than Yosuke-senpai and myself?" she asked. Everyone else shook their head, and she walked to join Yosuke at the head of the table.

"This is hardly fair," Yosuke whined, folding his hands behind his head, "We know how everyone's gonna vote!"

"Sounds like a sore loser to me…" Rise mumbled, earning a glare from the older boy.

"'Ey, you got a better idea!? Didja forget that some poor girl is sufferin' in that damn world? We gotta get this shit over with, so let's go!" Kanji hissed, earning a round of agreements from around the table to Yosuke's chagrin.

"If everyone is prepared, then let's begin. When I say the name of the person you'd prefer, simply raise your hand. Ready?" Naoto explained, nodding once everyone affirmed they knew the rules.

"Those who would vote to have Yosuke-senpai as the substitute leader of the team, please raise your hand.."

Teddie put a hand up, proudly. "Yeah, go Yosuke! You may not be Sensei, but you're his best student and second best looking one!"

Yosuke cracked his palm against his forehead. "Gee, thanks, Teddie…"

Yukiko, shyly, began to put her hand up, to the annoyance of Chie and the surprise of Yosuke.

"W-what!? C'mon, Yukiko, there's _no_ way he'd be better than Naoto!"

Yukiko decided to defend herself, but found the words that were so clearly imprinted in her brain had a difficult time registering out of her mouth. "Well, he...I-I mean, what's the harm?"

"What's the _good!?_ "

Naoto took the initiative and took back the conversation, once again saving Yukiko. "Alright, no need to get riled up. The votes are in, and that's two for Yosuke. Now-"

"Do we even _need_ to do this," Yosuke sighed, his eyes downcast, "We already know the result already…"

Naoto nodded, her gaze still iron. "Even so, everyone gets to have their opinion heard. Those who would vote for me to be substitute leader please raise your hand."

Immediately, Chie and Rise's hands shot up, tall and proud. A few seconds later, Kanji sheepishly put his up as well, earning a loud moan from Yosuke.

"That's three for me, which is the clear majority," Naoto stated, earning whoops of victory from her voters. She turned to Yosuke, "I promise that I'll do my best to fulfill the large gap that has been left." Naoto offered her hand, but Yosuke just blew air and sat back down. Yukiko felt bad as she watched him sulk. Something about him seemed different than the usual sulking he'd do when outvoted on a particular idea, like he was taking this particular loss very much to heart.

"Geez, don't be so grumpy Yosuke! It's not like we kicked ya out," Chie said, a sympathetic tone in her voice, "I just think Naoto is better suited for leader. You still kick _all_ sorts of ass sometimes!

"Yeah, whatever," they heard in response.

"Yosuke, don't feel bad! I'm sure Sensei knows we tried!" Teddie offered.

"It's fine! Let's just move on!" He huffed.

Naoto cleared her throat, eyeing Yosuke as she started talking. "Well, regardless, I think it's safe to say that we may be dealing with a copycat, and if that's the case, we have the advantage."

"How so?" Yukiko asked, curious. Naoto sounded confident, which usually meant good things for the rest of the team.

"When the case was reported on in the papers last year, there were a few things that the police chose not to reveal. One of them was the method with which Adachi-san (*****) perpetrated the crimes; nobody but us knows about the real purpose of the Midnight Channel or the world behind the TV. Therefore, this narrows down our subjects, considerably, to someone in this very town or who was here in the past year to know about the rumors."

It took a minute for the news to settle in, but once it did, a familiar and excited glow came across the faces of the team. Even Yosuke perked up a little bit, although he still had a suspicious look on his face.

"Isn't that what we thought about what happened with Labrys? And we still haven't figured that one out…Got a theory on that, _detective?_ " Yukiko noticed Yosuke said "detective" with just a hint of acid. Naoto, ever nonplussed, addressed him directly.

"I had considered this, Yosuke-senpai, but as I mentioned earlier, the timing of these events is far too close for them to be committed by the same person. There is a slight chance that you are correct, however, and if so, it too must be thoroughly investigated."

Yosuke looked genuinely surprised as Naoto leaned over the table, looking serious.

"Chie-senpai, Yosuke-senpai, Teddie, I want you three to take this card," she ordered, sliding a small, sleek business card across the table, "and contact Mitsuru, the woman we met in the TV World. Tell her it's for me, and see if you can find out any additional news about Labrys, since her group is doing a debriefing with her."

Chie, Yosuke and Teddie were all too stunned to say anything, so Naoto continued with her assignments.

"Yukiko-senpai, Kanji, Rise, I need you to see what kind of information you can find on our mysterious victim. Her name is Cassandra Cage, and that's pretty much all we know. Her hair and language would suggest she's American, but let us not assume too much. You three have parents than run the busiest places in town besides Junes, perhaps they have seen this girl sometime this past week. She'd certainly stick out, looking the way she does, so leave no stone unturned."

"You got it!" Rise stated assertively. Kanji and Yukiko nodded in agreement, the heiress particularly impressed with how quickly Naoto decided to split the teams based on their potential knowledge.

"Then it is settled. We will meet back here this time tomorrow and share our information. I will meet with some contacts I have in the local police department and see what else I can dig up. Is this agreeable for everyone?"

There was a round of agreements across the table, with the only negative answer being Yosuke, who issued a slight groan.

"W-wowww, Nao-chan, you really know what you're doing! I feel like a very useful bear already!" Teddie chirped, excited to be part of the team again. Yukiko was happy to see him looking back to his usual self, after he had been down regarding their last TV World excursion.

"Yeah, this is like _super_ official, like a real police investigation! Man, if Yu were here, I bet even _he_ would take notes," Chie concurred, excitedly clenching her fists. Once again, Naoto tucked her cap down to try and hide her embarrassment over the rash of compliments.

"I-I thank you, Chie-senpai. I am simply doing the best I can with the experience I have as a detective. Hopefully I can continue to live up to such high standards," she mumbled in the direction of the floor.

"Was there any doubt she'd be the best?" Rise chimed in, cheekily resting her arm on her best friend's shoulder.

"Well, I think Yosuke-senpai would also have been a-" Naoto was suddenly cut off by a sharp ringing from her vest. She quickly whisked the cell phone out and took a look at the screen.

"My apologies, but I have to take this, it's an important call. If any of you have questions, contact me. I will see you all tomorrow, yes?"

Yukiko nodded along with everyone else as the detective hurried off to a less crowded area of the food court so she could hear a little bit better. Everyone else got up and got together with their assigned group members.

"Awright, this finally feels like we're back to kickn' ass again, right!?" Kanji boasted, puffing his chest out a bit. He had been separated from the group for a while during the Labrys incident, so he had missed the initial group meeting. Yukiko couldn't help but be caught up in his infectious mood.

"I suppose we are!" She said, giggling. Rise flashed a peace sign and grinned big at her two companions.

"Oh yeah, for sure! And this time, I _promise_ that I'm gonna be around to provide you with all the juicy info you need! I'm not really sure I'm into the whole 'being caged' thing…" she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Labrys' shadow had abducted Rise and kept her locked up while the rest of the crew was running around, and Yukiko could sense she was eager for a shot at redemption.

As her two teammates began to heard toward the sliding glass exit, she noticed Yosuke slagging behind his group. Chie and Teddie were ogling the business card that they had been given, mystified by the seemingly holographic nature of it. Yukiko held back and walked up to Yosuke, who was just now getting up.

"Hey, Yosuke-kun," she started, getting his diminished attention, "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you didn't get picked. I meant it when I said that I thought you would have been a good fit."

She watched as his frown turned into a sort of half-hearted simper. "Heh, thanks Yukiko-san. I saw that you voted for me, but I guess the others don't get it. But I forget that not everyone is as responsible as we are, am I right?"

Yukiko blushed a little at his comment. For the past couple of months, Yukiko had been training extensively to take over her parents' inn, a local institution that had long been a great source of tourist interest in the town. It was a tall order, and the decision was not one she had come to lightly, but she felt it was the right thing to do.

"I-I suppose you are, Yosuke-kun. Well, anyways, good luck with your investigation!" Yukiko said hurriedly, turning toward the exit.

"Yeah, you too, Yukiko-san!"

Back in the main Junes building, Yukiko sighed and walked slowly toward the elevator, straightening the red cardigan she was wearing over her school uniform. She was a bit disappointed that it had been so easy to give her support to Yosuke when he was the only person around, yet so difficult with the attention focused on her back at the table.

This wasn't the only time she noticed this behavior; this was a reoccurring problem in her training back at the inn. When she was in the kitchen, trying to improve her cooking, she found herself unable to tell the chefs to let her try and do her own thing when they were all watching her do what she did, yet she would always run into one near the end of the day and politely ask them to stop. She certainly wasn't intimidated by Yosuke or the inn chefs, so what was the issue?

She shrugged off the manner as she got on the elevator, doing her best to focus on the task at hand. No matter her personal feelings regarding her behavior, it was always sobering to remember that an innocent person was once again trapped in the TV World, and she was one of a very select few that could help her. As the doors opened to the bottom floor, she felt an all new resolve surging through her to focus on the mission and hopefully end these kidnappings once and for all.

Kanji and Rise were outside leaning on the nearby telephone poles, probably wondering where in the heck she had gotten to. As she headed toward yet another set of glass sliding doors, she felt an unfamiliar presence bump into her shoulder, causing the lithe and fragile heiress to lose her balance. Annoyed, she looked back at the person who had done that, who was also composing himself.

"Excuse me! Can you please watch where you are going?" She asked, perhaps a little politer than she actually felt, a side effect of her ubringing. The man, tall with a dark shirt and nice slacks, immediately bowed.

"Oh, my goodness! Forgive me, young lady, I must be more careful in the future," he muttered, his head parallel with the floor. His accent sounded unfamiliar, like maybe he wasn't from around the area; Yukiko had learned to pick up on all sorts of little details like that since her inn hosted so many tourists.

Casting aside her suspicion, she waved off his sincere apology, trying to lighten up.

"I appreciate that, sir," she said gently, returning the sheepish smile he gave her. He was about to turn and walk away when he did a double take and walked back toward her again.

"I'm sorry, but have I seen you somewhere before? You look so familiar…" he asked, his face studious and serious as he looked at her face. A little embarrassed and feeling strange, Yukiko cast her eyes down and muttered an answer. She had certainly never seen him before and wondered why she was known to him.

"I am not sure that I know you, sir," she answered diplomatically. She again cursed herself for not being able to look him in the eye. Surely this wouldn't be the only weirdo she would have to deal with as a hostess, right?

"I…see. Well, perhaps it was my mistake. Do you work here?" he offered, gesturing to the Junes store around them. Sensing he may not let this go anytime soon, Yukiko decided to tell the truth.

N-no I don't…I'm sorry, you must be mistaken…"

The man nodded grimly before his eyes flashed brightly, an idea seemingly forming in his head. Yukiko started taking note of his face; his face was lean but not gaunt, and his full black beard was trimmed and looked proper. It was hard to tell, but it appeared that his hair was pulled back into a ponytail. A grin stretched across his face, much different than the hardened grimace he had just shown.

"Ah, of course! The Amagi Inn! I believe you waited on me whilst I was a guest there. I was so impressed with how well run it was, really something else! You were _so_ kind," he gushed, raising his hands up and gesturing as he talked. Yukiko felt herself relaxing a bit; she was uncomfortable, but at least he didn't come across as big a creep as he had seemed at first.

"O-oh, thank you," Yukiko stammered, bowing a bit in respect, "My family will be very pleased to hear that."

The man smiled again and gently extended his hand. "Hasashi is the name, please do give my regards to your family for their excellent establishment."

Yukiko looked from the man's hand and back to his face. He was still grinning, a smile that revealed somewhat crooked teeth and stretched his thin mouth unnaturally. Still, she didn't see the harm in it, and shook his hand gently with her first three fingers.

"I will do that sir, thank you," she said as the man squeezed gently before letting go. Hasashi gave one last smile before turning toward the throng of people entering Junes and disappearing amongst them. Yukiko shook her head at the strange encounter, but quickly put it out of her head when she saw her friends staring at her from outside the glass doors.

"C-coming!" she called, more to alert herself to move since she was aware they probably couldn't hear her. She trotted toward the exit and smiled at her friends as she did. This new investigation was heating up, and she couldn't ignore the small thrill that came with getting back into the swing of things.

* * *

 **Footnotes:**

 ***- As seen in the epilogue of my previous story, _Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall_**

 ****- Concept from _Persona 4_ **

*****- Main plot of _Persona 4: Arena's_ story**

 ******- Main plot of my previous story, _Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall_**

 *******- Adachi is the person revealed to be the culprit of the Inaba murders in _Persona 4's_ story**


End file.
